finance
Digital Sector Openings Emerge as Beijing Hits 5-Trillion-Yuan GDP Mark
New company formations in software and IT services reached 10,900 in the first half of 2025 amid the city's service-led expansion.
How we reported this
Beijing crossed the 5-trillion-yuan GDP threshold in 2025 with a 5.4 percent rise to 5.207 trillion yuan, according to official figures from the municipal government. The digital economy produced the clearest signal of fresh openings, recording a 53.92 percent year-on-year jump in new entity registrations and 10,900 new companies in the first half of the year.
Service industries lead the expansion
The tertiary sector posted 5.8 percent growth and now accounts for 86 percent of the city's output. Within that total, software and information technology services expanded 11 percent to 1.2 trillion yuan, while the financial industry rose 8.7 percent to 866.8 billion yuan. These gains occurred alongside a 20.2 percent increase in computer and electronic equipment manufacturing and a 1.4-fold rise in new-energy vehicle production.
Independent data showed total retail sales slipped to 1.37 trillion yuan, falling below the 2022 lockdown figure. The contrast highlights that the recorded growth has concentrated in business-to-business and technology channels rather than consumer spending.
Income and job metrics remain stable
Per capita disposable income climbed 4.4 percent in real terms to 89,090 yuan. The surveyed urban unemployment rate stayed at 4.1 percent. These figures appear in the same statistical releases that document the digital-entity surge, indicating that the new registrations have not yet shifted headline labour-market numbers.
Entrepreneurs and investors tracking Beijing's 2026 target of roughly 5 percent GRP growth can examine the first-half 2025 registration data from the municipal statistics bureau for sector-level detail. The pattern points to continued scope in software, IT services and related high-tech manufacturing for entities that align with existing capacity guidelines.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.